How to create the strongest password that you'll actually remember

The unfortunate thing about any account on the internet- whether it is your Facebook, email or online shopping account- is there are predators looking to hack or steal your private information. Aside from using antivirus software, data backup and identity protection, users should take precautions to ensure the passwords used are uncommon and difficult for a stranger or program to guess.

According to a study by security consultant Mark Burnett in 2015, the top five passwords are 123456, password, 12345678, qwerty, and 123456789. Passwords like these are easily guessed, putting your private information at risk.

Here are two methods for creating a special password that you can remember, but is tough for others to guess.

Use the first letter of each word in a sentence

Write a short sentence that has significance to you. It could be your life motto, an important event or your favorite quote. For example, turn ‘I met Walter on the beach, July 1972’ into ‘ImWotB0772’ for a nearly impossible password to crack. We changed the date into MM/YY to include numbers.

The password hint for this could be “Where and when did you meet your spouse?”

Combine parts of words

This one can be a little tricky. Write down some key words or topics you could easily remember. Let’s use the first three letters of your favorite color, food and beverage, plus the year you moved into your current home. That would turn ‘green, sandwich, coffee, 2014’ into ‘GreSanCof14.’

The hint could be “List the following: favorite color, food, beverage, plus the year you moved in.”

Remember

Strong passwords use a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. It is extremely helpful to set up a password hint for when you need to jog your memory.

Your email, Facebook and any other account should be guarded the same way you would protect the valuables in your home- as securely as possible. Bask partners with only top-rated, secure software with you in mind.

• IdentityForce prevents identity theft by protecting personally identifiable information (PII) such as your credit card security code, date of birth and mother’s maiden name.
• Trend Micro Maximum prevents malware or viruses from infecting your computer.
• IDrive creates a secure, online backup copy of all your photos, videos, documents and other files that can be restored if damaged, corrupted or lost.

Visit the Bask Memberships page to learn how we can help you avoid becoming a target for an information leak or security breach.